Fish pole bracket for automobiles



Feb. 15, 1949. J w, HOPKINS 2,461,897

FISH POLE BRACKET FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 8, 1946 f M177 H/ 7 K K. A3 a II III WWW Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE :FISH POLEZBRAGKET EOR AUTOMOBILES Jerold Hopkins,"La Crosse,"Wis., assignor of sixty-'fivey'per'cent' to R. "(3. Cheney, La Crosse, -Wis., and twenty-five percent to W. C3 Ghen'ey,

Lake City, Minn.

Application March 8, 1946, Serial No. 653,000

Claims. 1

The present, invention :relates to improvements in-means for supporting-fish poles and like equipment upon an automobile or similar vehicle.

One of the obj ects thereof is to'provide a simple, efiicient and inexpensive'bracket for attachment to the -dri mold of'an automobile and which is light, strongand convenient to attach and remove from the machine.

Another object thereof is to provide a bracket especially designed to support -a fish pole and accessories upon the upper part and side of a self propelled vehicle or the'like' while in transit so thepole may extend longitudinally of the machine without obstructing contact with anything. A still further object thereof is to provide a supportin device upon an automobile forfishin poles and thelike equipmentwhich requires nothing to-be attached by-screw fasteners or the like to the -machine lbutwhichis anchored securely upon aside of the machine by surmounting friction of parts clamped'onto thedrip mold thereof.

.Another object of this inventionis to provide novel means for attaching a pair of brackets upon the side-of an automobile in relation to the drip mold thereof in'such a manner that they may be mountedinoverlying position upon said side of the'machine and clamped onto said drip mold, thereby permitting opposite ends of the fish pole to be supported in the brackets. I

.A final object thereof is to provide, in a device of the kind described novel means for holding the fish poles or other articles placed in the mentioned brackets against endwise displacement from .the brackets.

With the above and other objects -in View my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out :in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar partsthroughout'the respective views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention partly in section applied to an automobile,

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof,

.Figure 3 is an opposite end elevation thereof, and

Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional crosssection of "part of the clamping means of the bracket.

Referring to the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention the various parts thereof are disclosed. It will be understood that fish poles are usually very long, and extend oftentimes coextensively with the length of an automobile upon which'it is desired to transport them about. It is necessary so to positionthe poles exteriorly of the vehicle as notto cause them .to interfere with lifting'the front hood of the machine 'or opening and closing the .side doors thereof, or otherwiselhan'dicap using anypart or the machine. To this end I have designed a supporting devicefor fishin jpolesbyvirtue o'f'which they may very conveniently be located and supported-"at the upper partof the'automobile upon either side thereof'where' there is no likelihood that any part thereof will. hazardly projectfrom themachine.

In'carrying out thispurposeI devise a construction-which consists of means for clamping a bracketupon the drip'mold B whichprovi'des a longitudinal gutter C conventionally along the upper "part of the machine upon one side D thereof, Aiindicating the top curved'in portion of the "body 'of the machine.

Betweenthe bracket proper and the clamping means therefor are oppositely extending flexible metal strap "members which hold the bracket attached to'the'machine ata lateral diagonal bias with "respect to the adjacent side of the automobile. Gne of these metal strap members vhas aportion designed to extend horizontally outwardly from the "side of the "automobile, at '10, which-part'is formedwith a right-angular portion ll projecting in one direction from part "Ill, and another right angular portion 12 extendin in a direction counter to that of the part ll 'andat the opposite end of part 10. The latter portion is designated I2 and is shaped to provide a forwardly and upwardly bent arm l3. The part l2 ofthis member constitutes what shall be termed a bearing portion.

'Theother flexible metal strap member is angularly bent at certainparts of its length in such a manner that a short intermediate portionthereof -16 has the head ofascrew bolt ll operatively attached hereto at right angles so as to project laterally thereof. This part l6 terminates in a relatively short concave-convex shaped jaw 20 designed to'overlie snugly the similarly shaped hook-shapeded ge of the drip mold B of the machine. The other end of the part lB'has formed at an obtuse angle thereto an integral portion 2|, which is formed with an obtusely disposed abutment portion 22, part 2| extends to one side of part l6.

The part'22 of the member now being described has an obtusely disposed integral arm 23 formed thereupon, which terminates in an 'integral'outturned lug 2'4. 'It will be seen that the screw bolt l'l projects lloosely through .an opening 18 in the 3. bearing portion I 2 of the first described strap member, and threaded upon this screw bolt in advance of bearing portion [2 is a wing or jamb nut l'9. Overlying the outer faces of part II of one member is a rubber pliable pad l5 and similarly overlying the part 22 of the other strap member is a rubber pad 25.

An article supporting the carrying bracket of flexible strap parts, consists of a short arm 21 secured at its inner end to the outer end of arm I3 of one member at I4, and of a longer right angular arm 26 to which the lug 24 of the other strap member is operatively secured. Short of the outer end of arm 21 of the bracket a slot 28 is formed, and short of the outer end of the long arm 26 of the bracket another slot 29 is located which clears the lug 24.

It will be observed that the outer end of arm 23 is located in closer proximity to the adjacent side of the automobile than the outer end of the arm I3 or outer end of arm 21 of the bracket. This assures that the bracket will be supported diagonally with respect to the vertical so as to incline in the same direction as the upper part of the vehicle curves as at A. This bias assumed by the bracket contributed by the location of arms I3 and 23 of both members, is responsible for placing the fish poles 3B in a tier upon the bracket with the lowermost pole lying in the crotch of the bracket, bearing both upon the short arm 2! and long arm 26 of the bracket. In order to frictionally confine the poles against displacement from the bracket use is made of a belt or flexible strap of conventional construction.

This flexible strap has one stretch thereof 32 spanning the diagonal distance across from the outer end of the short arm 21 to the outer end of the long arm 26 of the bracket, at which ends of the arms it passes through both slots 28 and 29 of these arms, then is turned around the corners of these arms and brought back over stretch 32, as at 3|, so opposite bight portions of the strap, indicated at 36 and 31 respectively, are looped around the outerends of the arms adjustably, and then their ends 34 and 35 are passed about and through the strap buckle 33 and properly and operatively secured. In tightening these ends of the strap, therefore, tension is applied to stretch 32 thereof which presses this part of the strap irictionally and tangentially of the fish poles lodged in the bracket.

The proper way to clamp the device upon the drip mold of the automobile is shown in Figure 1. Parts 25 and [5 of the two strap members, being rubber pads, are brought into contact with the adjacent side of the automobile, by locating the jaw 26 of the first member in the gutter C of the drip mold B, and by tightening the hold of the wing nut l9 upon the screw bolt [1 and against the bearing portion I2 of the opposite member. As the wing nut is turned upon the screw bolt and advanced thereupon in the direction of the automobile, it will be seen that parts [2 and 20 of the two members are pressed towards each other, so that jaw 20 clamps the drip mold B and wing nut clamps the bearing portion [2. As this takes place the rubber pad I5 on part II of one member is also pressed against the side of the automobile, in the act of pressing the bearing portion inwardly towards the automobile. The member 22 having arm 23 serves as a bracing means for the bracket. This arm 23, being flexible, the force of the nut IS on the bearing surface (2 and on the bolt I1 will force the bracing arm 23 to contact the rubber pad 25 overlying 4 part 22 of arm 23 against the adjacent side of the automobile.

It will be understood that a pair of the brackets and clamps disclosed herein will be needed for attachment to opposite ends of the automo- [bile to the dripmold thereof in the manner already explained herein. In this way it is assured that the poles will be supported at opposite ends thereof upon the two brackets so as to extend longitudinally of the sides of the machine along one side thereof. Vibration of the machine will impart vibration to the flexible parts of the support herein set forth without dislodging the fishing poles from their supports. By loosening the hold of the wing nuts on the bearing portions l2 of .the brackets clamps, the device can readily be removed from the machine and leave no trace of marks upon the side of the machine.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I desire to claim is:

1. A bracket for attachment to the drip mold of a vehicle, supporting arms for said bracket, one of said arms being shaped to provide a jaw of a clamp and an abutmentengaging the side of the vehicle, the other arm being shaped to provide a second jaw for said clamp disposed in opposition to the first jaw and also an abutment for engaging the same side of the vehicle, the first jaw of the clamp engaging within said drip mold, manually operable means for vising the jaws against the side of the vehicle and said drip mold, and means for supporting articles in said bracket against displacement therefrom.

2. In combination with an automobile having a drip mold, a flexible metal strap extending horizontally adjacent to one side of the automobile and having a right angular terminal abutting said side, and also formed with a right angular bearing portion projecting in a direction counter to said right angular terminal in spaced relation opposite to said drip mold, a sec- 0nd flexible metal strap having a part also abutting .the mentioned side of the automobile, and also formed with an integral offset portion projecting beyond the foregoing part to engage within the drip mold frictionally, a screw bolt having one end rigidly connected to the offset portion and another end adjustably projecting through said bearing portion, a wing nut threaded on said screw bolt jambing said bearing portion for thrusting clampingly the automobile engaging parts and the drip mold engaging parts of said metal straps in opposing directions, and means conjointly carried by both metal straps for supporting an article to be transported by said automobile.

3. A fish pole supporting bracket for attachment to the drip mold of a vehicle comprising a pair of bracket supporting arms, one of said arms being shaped .to provide a jaw of a clamp engageable within said drip mold and an abutment engaging the side of the vehicle, the other arm being shaped to provide a second jaw for said clamp in opposition to said first jaw and also an abutment for engaging the same side of the vehicle, manually operable means engaging said arms for clamping the jaws against the side of the vehicle and said drip mold, and means for supporting a fish pole in said bracket against displacement therefrom.

4. A fish pole supporting bracket for attach-.2 ment to the drip mold of a vehicle comprising a pair of bracket supporting arms, one of said arms being shaped to provide a jaw of a clamp ,engageable Within said drip mold and an'aibut ment engaging the side of the vehicle, above said drip mold, the other arm being shaped to provide a second jaw for said clamp in opposition to said first jaw and also an abutment for engaging the same side of the vehicle below said drip mold, manually operable means engaging said arms for clamping the jaws against the side of the vehicle and said drip mold, and means for supporting a fish pole in said bracket against displacement therefrom.

JEROLD W. HOPKINS.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,221,559 Morgen et al. Apr. 3, 1917 1,733,007 Dahl Oct. 22, 1929 1,748,282 Ellis Feb. 25, 1930 2,235,012 Colvin June 29, 1937 2,268,958 Parten Jan. 6, 1942 

